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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — help
  11. can — a tin
  12. chair — a leader
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — in a road
  16. can — to be able to
  17. track — a song
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. can — a tin
  20. track — a path
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. hand — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com